Published: 12:24 AM, 03 September 2026
SCO photo cropped by Pakistan's Sharif sparks controversy
A collage of the two photos shared by Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office and India's Narendra Modi. -NDTV
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office has drawn criticism after sharing a cropped photograph from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit that appeared to place him at the centre while excluding several other world leaders.
The photograph was taken before a session of the 26th SCO Leadership Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and originally showed leaders of the member countries standing together, NDTV reports.
In the version shared by Sharif's office on Tuesday, the image showed Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kyrgyz colonel Ularbeek Zarlykovich Sharsheev.
However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later shared the original photograph, showing that Sharif was actually standing fourth from the right. Five other world leaders had been cropped from the image shared by the Pakistani prime minister's office.
The 26th SCO Leadership Summit brought together 10 member states, 15 partner countries and two observer countries to discuss regional and global issues and advance cooperation.
Modi addressed the 26th SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan, highlighting the need for stronger regional cooperation amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has disrupted global energy supplies and affected economies.
He called for greater cooperation around three key pillars of the SCO: security, connectivity and opportunity.
Modi also stressed the need to move beyond broad visions and focus on achieving measurable outcomes, the Indian outlet said.
The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
The grouping now comprises 10 member states, alongside its partner and observer countries, and focuses on dialogue and cooperation on regional and global issues.
